2025 Art Heists: Louvre Crown Jewels and Missing Picasso

IS THIS THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY?

I think the art world is still in shock this week. Is Neal Caffrey the culprit!? Lol… stay tuned, because this month has been absolutely wild — there’s been more than one major art theft, but of course, it’s the Louvre that’s stealing (pun intended) all the headlines.

Now, I’m sure you’ve heard by now that the Louvre Museum was robbed. Here’s the thing — I’m actually heading to Paris next month, and to say I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to see the French Crown Jewels is a huge understatement. To the art thieves… honestly, could you not have waited just one more month? I was so ready to see Napoleon’s jewels in person.

🪙 Paris, Again?!

And as if one Parisian heist wasn’t enough, this year saw another incident. Just a few weeks earlier, thieves hit the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle — yes, another major institution right in the heart of Paris. This time, the target wasn’t diamonds or tiaras, but raw gold. The gang made off with several rare specimens, including an Australian gold nugget weighing around 5 kg, plus pieces from California and Bolivia, with an estimated total value of €600,000.

What’s wild is that these weren’t polished jewels or display treasures — they were natural gold formations, part of the museum’s geological collection. It’s not exactly the type of loot you’d expect from a classic art heist, which makes it even more bizarre. Between the Louvre robbery and this gold grab, Paris seems to be having a real security problem. Someone, please, check the locks!

Fun fact: Crown jewels or gold nuggets, it seems Paris thieves have a taste for high-value treasures — from royal history to natural history, nothing is safe.

💎 The Louvre Robbery

Now, back to the Louvre. Here’s what went down (in plain English, not press release speak):

A gang showed up around 9:30 a.m. — right after the museum opened — using a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to reach the Galerie d'Apollon, the stunning gallery overlooking the River Seine. Two of them cut through a first-floor window using power tools (bold move), threatened the guards, smashed two display cases, and in under four minutes, were gone.

The security report is… not great. French media revealed that one in three rooms in the area had no CCTV, and to make matters worse, the local alarm system was broken. The main alarms did go off, though, and staff followed protocol by evacuating visitors and calling in security forces.

In total, eight pieces were taken — including tiaras, necklaces, earrings, and brooches — all 19th-century royal treasures once belonging to French royalty and imperial rulers. Highlights include:

• A tiara and brooch from Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III)

  
  

• An emerald necklace and earrings from Empress Marie Louise

  
  

• A sapphire set once worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense

  
  

• A reliquary brooch, dripping in diamonds and precious stones

  
  

Investigators later found Empress Eugénie’s crown damaged along the escape route — apparently dropped during their scooter getaway (yes, scooters). The jewels are said to be worth a staggering €88 million, though experts say the real tragedy is the loss of heritage, not just money.

French officials are calling this “an attack on our history,” and the entire country is furious. One senator even said it’s “hard to understand how it happened so easily.” Sixty investigators are now working on the case, studying CCTV along the escape route.

The Louvre, meanwhile, remains closed while investigations continue — refunds are being issued, barriers are up, and Paris is collectively fuming.

Fun fact: The Louvre has actually been targeted before — in 1911, the world-famous Mona Lisa was stolen by a former museum employee and remained missing for two years. History repeating itself? Perhaps.

And if you thought Paris had already had enough drama…

🎨 The Picasso That Vanished in Spain

Yes — another heist. This time, a tiny Picasso painting, worth about €600,000 (£520,000), vanished somewhere between Madrid and Granada while being transported to an exhibition. The piece, titled “Naturaleza Muerta con Guitarra (Still Life with Guitar)”, was painted in 1919 and measures just 12.7 x 9.8 cm — basically, the size of a postcard.

It was on its way to the CajaGranada Foundation for their Still Life: The Eternity of the Inert exhibition. When the delivery van arrived and the artworks were unpacked, the Picasso was gone.

The foundation said that while all the works were checked, some weren’t properly numbered, which made an “exhaustive check” impossible (translation: chaos). By Monday morning, when staff were setting up the exhibition, someone finally noticed that Picasso’s little painting was missing. The police have since been called in, and the investigation is underway.

Spanish media say the van possibly stopped overnight near Granada, and that the crew took turns guarding it. Clearly, something went wrong.

Fun fact: Picasso seems to attract trouble — in 2007, two of his paintings worth €50 million were stolen from the Paris home of his granddaughter. And back in 1997, a London gallery had a gunman steal his Tête de Femme, valued at over £500,000. Clearly, Picasso just can’t catch a break!

Between the Louvre’s €88 million jewel heist, the Paris gold grab, and Spain’s missing Picasso, October might just go down as the month that gave the art world collective whiplash.

Two heists, priceless losses, and far too many unanswered questions.Paris, check your alarms.Madrid, keep an eye on those vans.And to whoever pulled this off… you’ve really outdone yourselves.

It really begs the question — how on earth can anyone pull off a stunt like this in this day and age? As an Art lover I’m honestly disappointed… but dare I say, a little impressed.